Shrimp Chili
by MartiansWearOrangeSocks
Summary: Neil's POV. Neil always thought life in Echo Village would be quiet, just the way he likes it. That is until he meets Henry and his veeery clumsy sister, Rio. Drama soon ensues in the once peaceful village. A story about a surly animal dealer, a clumsy farmgirl who's looking for love in all the wrong places and how the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. RioXNeil
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

**Hey everyone, this is the first fanfiction piece that I've ever written whoo! Please R&R! (please be kind T.T) I apologize if any of the characters seem a bit OOC so please don't shoot me!**

**Disclaimer: Harvest Moon belongs to Natsume and not me. No copyright infringement is intended. *insert more legal stuff here***

* * *

It was criminally early when I set out for Acre Farm. Old man Dunhill had set me up to the task of delivering the twins' first cow to them. Ugh as if those two idiots could be trusted with a cow anyway.

Anyhow, Dunhill had paid me a rather large sum of money 'for my trouble'. Business is business and that extra gold was more than sufficient to pay for that new amp I had been hankering after. So I acquiesced. Though I'm willing to bet last month's earnings that those two clowns wouldn't last a month in Echo Village.

Who in their right mind comes to Echo Village anyway? The last time I checked, people _left _Echo village instead of arriving here. There's nothing to do in Echo village. I mean sure the forest is beautiful and all but people get sick of it after awhile. They crave excitement and entertainment, none of which this sleepy village can offer.

Why do I stay then? Well, I guess I enjoy the peace and quiet. I'm not much of a people's person. Besides, there really isn't anywhere else I can go.

Anyway, back to the topic of those two clowns. Their names are Henry and Rio, pretty daft names if you ask me. Their father had inherited the farm from his parents but left Echo Village to chase his one true love. "That's so sweet!" Hanna and Emma would coo when Dunhill told the story for the umpteenth time. Me? I don't buy into this love bullshit.

What I know is that city-folk can't be trusted. They're cruel and heartless and utterly despicable. Just look at them with their expensive clothes and fancy gadgets, so oblivious to the world around them. I had been to the city a couple of times. The streets were always lined with trash. Abandoned animals prowl the sidewalks. I try to feed them whenever I can but I'm usually chastised for feeding the 'strays'. Heartless jerks.

I'm sure these two won't be any different.

I actually hear them before I see them.

It would appear as those two were fighting over something. How typical.

"Rio, why do the turnips look like they're wilting?"

"Don't blame me! I watered them yesterday!" screeched a female voice. That must be that blasted Rio.

"Well you must have watered them WRONG!" hollered Henry.

Morons.

"Ahem," I cleared my throat. "Will you two please stop your infernal shouting?" So much for peace and quiet with these two around.

They both whipped around. You wouldn't believe that these two idiots were actually twins. Henry was a brunette with brown eyes while Rio was blond with blue eyes. They possessed the same corpse-like parlor though. Ha! Come summer, I'm sure these two pasty clowns would be burnt to a crisp.

"Sorry! Come on in! I'm Rio and this is my brother, Henry. We're the new farmers. And you are?"

Gee, she was obnoxiously perky. It was way too early in the morning for her nonsense! Is she pretty? Uh well I suppose she is, if you're into that stuff which I'm most definitely NOT. She offered her hand, which I reluctantly shook. It was ridiculously soft, like cream. No doubt she must have lived a charmed life. Up to now, that is. Boy was she going to be in for a rude shock.

"I'm Neil, the animal dealer. I'm here to deliver your cow. Don't get the wrong idea, it's a gift from Dunhill," I replied with as much hostility as I could muster.

"Sup man, and thanks," greeted Henry. He was much more tolerable than his sister.

I gave them a lesson on the rudiments of animal husbandry. Despite their overly eager nods, I could see the confusion in their eyes. I genuinely feared for the poor cow's life.

Those two spent the next century or so arguing over the cow's name, thereby further robbing me of my sleep. Henry was gunning for Lucy while Rio chose the very ridiculous name of MooMoo.

"Lucy it is then," I interjected. "MooMoo is a stupid name for a cow." I threw in an icy glare for Rio's benefit.

However it would seem that insult had no ill effect on her whatsoever. Ugh! How could she be so goddamned happy all the time?

"That's great Neil! Thank you so much!" she beamed while I handed over their pitchfork, brush and milker-all tools they would fail at using I'm sure.

I responded with a standard harrumph, hoping it would get the message across. _No, I don't want to be friends_. That didn't deter her though.

"Can I give you a gift to express our thanks?"

"Come on Neil!" Henry chimed in. I was seriously re-thinking my earlier favorable judgment of him…

"Uh no thanks, I've got to hit the road. Just try not to kill Lucy like you killed off your crops."

I could hear Rio's obnoxious giggle as I left the farm. Sweet goddess! Could someone just tape her mouth shut already? I pitied Henry. He has to spend twenty-four hours at day with that aggravating little dolt.

_ It wasn't a joke_, I added mentally.

It was about 7am. Just enough time for me to catch a quick nap before I had to open Neil's Animals. Not that it matters since no one visits anyway.


	2. Chapter 2

******Author's Note:**

**Thanks for all the reviews and follows! I truly appreciate every single one of them :) Anyway here you go, Chapter 2 is up! This one is pretty long so please bear with me. Please R&R! xo MartiansWearOrangeSocks**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harvest Moon (sadly). Natsume does. No copyright infringement is intended. *insert more legal stuff here***

* * *

_The zoo was his favorite place to visit. Somehow, he found comfort in the company of the animals there. His whole body burbled with glee, as though he had drunk to much fizzy juice._

"_Mummy look! It's an alpaca!" shrieked the six-year-old boy. He flashed his mother a toothy grin. Neil especially liked the dancing alpacas. They looked so silly when they were excited! Giggling, Neil reached out to pet the animal. You weren't supposed to do that._

_The boy relished the feel of the alpaca's coat beneath his chubby fingers. It was so soft and velvety! A smile crept across his face as he thought of how warm and snuggly it would be to own a blanket made of this._

_No more cold winter nights! He imagined Mummy tucking him into bed on a cold wintry night with his new blanket. The thought made his insides feel all warm and fuzzy._

_I'm gonna call you Snowy, he decided._

"_Neil! Don't do that!" frowned Daddy. "They're germs on it! It'll make you very sick. Hurry along and wash your hands. Make sure you scrub between your fingers."_

"_Yes Daddy," Neil sighed dejectedly. Daddy was a doctor and he knew a lot of things. But surely Snowy meant him no harm? He flashed a longing look at Snowy. He would miss her very much. He wondered how long it would be till he could see her again. Daddy was very busy at the clinic and Mummy couldn't drive. _

_Maybe he could walk there! Nah, Neil's eyebrows furrowed. It was much too long a walk. He could get lost! Mummy and Daddy would be really worried then. Daddy might get really mad. He could get grounded!_

_Mummy made a soft 'tsk' sound but she wore a smile on her face. "Come on Neil, let's go get some watermelon sherbet and I'll get you a t-shirt from the gift shop okay? Then I'll make you some delicious shrimp chili for dinner."_

_She ruffled his hair. He liked it when she did that. It made him feel like he was her special boy._

_He nodded glumly. Maybe if he were a good boy they would bring him to the zoo again next week._

"_Bye Snowy, I promise I'll visit again. Don't miss me too much. Be a good girl until then you hear?"_

_Snowy seemed to be smiling at him. But out of the blue, her serene expression morphed into that of alarm. Her glassy blue eyes widened in fright. Screeching hysterically, Snow banged on the fence with such a ferocious intensity that it made Neil flinch. In shock, he took a step back._

_Snowy's lips formed an O. "NEIL!"_

_The boy's feet stayed rooted to the ground. His jaw dropped._

"_NEIL! I SAID WAKE UP! OPEN THE DOOR!"_

_Wait what?!_

My eyelids flickered open in anxiety. Oh, I was having that dream about Snowy again. Whoever was at the door was going to pay dearly for this.

"What the hell," I grumbled under my breath. Who the fudge is awake at 5.30am on a Saturday morning?

Apparently Rio was. I opened the door to the sight of her disheveled face. A plethora of curses swirled around in my head but I was too sleep-addled to come up with anything coherent.

In the end, I just settled for an irritated "What?"

Rio ceased her sniveling. However, her cheeks flushed a deep crimson. Huh?

"Um…Neil you…you're not um decent…" Rio stuttered meekly.

The hell? I looked down. In my haste, I had forgotten about _that_. I was dressed in nothing save for a pair of boxers. To make matters worse, they were the ones with the cartoon cows printed on them. What? Don't judge. I like animals okay?

My cheeks burned. She was the last person I wanted to catch me in such a humiliating situation! Ugh I could imagine Miss Sunshine here teasing me about it for the rest of my life.

"Wait here!" I squawked in the most intimidating voice I could muster in these boxers and slammed the door in her face.

Come to think of it, she looked more like Miss Thunderstorm today. Never mind, it's not my problem anyway.

I threw on the nearest pair of jeans I could find and a stray black t-shirt that had been lying around. I don't own much variety in the clothing department anyway. Just a couple of jeans, cargo pants, t-shirts in basic black, white and grey and my maroon coat for when the weather got colder-it's the only pop of color you're _ever_ going to find on me.

"What the hell do you want, woman? It's 5.30 in the morning for god's sake!" I didn't particularly enjoy being interrupted from my sweet blissful sleep for the sake of this blond bimbo.

As if on cue, Rio burst into tears again. Hey don't you look at me like that! I didn't mean to make her cry! It's her own fault for being so darn sensitive!

"It's Lucy. I don't know what's wrong with her. She won't eat and she feels so hot to the touch. It's been getting worse and worse since last night. I don't know what to do! Henry went to town to get some new strings for his guitar. Oh Neil…please do something! I beg you…"

I knew she couldn't be trusted to take good care of Lucy! Rage boiled inside me. If there's one thing I hate, it's people who don't take good care of their animals. How irresponsible!

"It's your own fault for being such a lousy farmer!" Time to knock some sense into that blond head of hers.

"Please Neil," Rio rambled on, tears streaming down her pale cheek. I don't mean to bug you but you're the only one who can help Lucy now. Please Neil. I…I don't know what else to do." Her blue eyes widened.

It was impossible not to give in to those puppy dog eyes! Well played Rio, well played. Besides, it wasn't as if I was going to let poor Lucy suffer due to the incompetency of her owner. My guess would be that Rio had left Lucy out in the rain yesterday and the poor dear had caught a cold. It had been raining buckets yesterday! Jesus, I felt so sorry for Lucy. It must have been hell.

"Here, dry your tears," I handed Rio a wad of tissue. "We don't want the other villagers to think I made you cry!" Emma was due to begin her rounds soon. Being unsociable is one thing but having the other villagers think I'm a big bully is quite another.

After grabbing some medicine, we dashed over to Acre farm. She moved with the speed of a geriatric so I pulled her along. There is no time to waste when dealing with sick animals.

Upon arrival, I was quite impressed to see that the twins' farming skills had markedly improved. At least the crops grew in reasonably neat rows now as compared to the haphazard mess I had laid eyes on a week ago.

Rio led me to the barn where I found Lucy mooing miserably in the corner. Her color didn't look too good. At least Rio had the sense to wrap her up in a blanket.

As expected, Lucy was burning hot to the touch. Stroking her gently while making soft soothing noises, I motioned for Rio to come over. She was standing by the door, looking completely lost. Maybe I had gone a little overboard by calling her a lousy farmer, inexperienced would have been more apt. But SHE had barged into my house at 5 in the morning.

"Here, do as I do. It's easy. Keep her comfortable while I feed her some medicine. Remember it's one spoonful. You're gonna have to do this on your own in the future. Don't expect anymore favors from me!"

"Got it!" She was her usual infuriatingly cheerful self again. Boy did she recover quickly. Rio stroked Lucy gently and nuzzled up against her. Lucy responded by mooing happily. Perhaps there was some hope for Rio yet.

A thought popped into my head that I should warn Rio against nuzzling sick animals. My father was deathly scared of animals, believing them to be a breeding ground for bacteria and germs. When I was little, he insistently cautioned me against touching them and always made me scrub my hands with foul-smelling antibacterial soap after any contact with an animal. He decreed that no pets were allowed into our home. Though our dwelling place was more of a house than it was a home. Ugh, stupid old geezer's still bothering me even when I'm a hundred miles away from him.

Remembering that Lucy enjoyed being scratched behind the ears, I reached out to do so. Apparently, Rio had the same thought. Her hand made contact with mine, grazing it ever so slightly.

She mumbled a flustered sorry and quickly retraced her hand. Oddly enough, tingles ricocheted through my hand. That was…strange. Probably just the static. I brushed it aside. It was nothing, really. Anyway, I had to go. There were some things I had to straighten up at home. Rio could jolly well learn how to cope on her own.

"Um I need to leave. Feed her another dose of medicine tonight. Her fever should have broken by then. And don't leave her out in the rain again!"

"Alrighty, thanks Neil!" she beamed. "Yeah I promise I won't."

"Hmph…and don't tell anyone about this morning okay? I'll make you feel very sorry if you tell." I had to preserve what was left of my dignity. Imagine if word got out that I wore boxers with cows on them to sleep…The horror! I could already hear Dunhill's hysterical laughter.

"You got it," Rio winked. "I think you look cute in them anyway!"

For the second time that morning, my cheeks flushed tomato red. Damn you Rio!

* * *

The next morning, I found a container of shrimp chili by my door. It even had a pink ribbon tied around it. Hmph, talk about excessive. Picking it up, I noticed the card attached to it.

_To Neil, thanks for the help!_

How the hell did she know I liked shrimp chili anyway?


	3. Chapter 3

******As usual, please read and review! That would make me veeery happy indeed :) I promise I'll try my best to respond to your review in a PM! **

**Disclaimer: Harvest Moon belongs to Natsume and not me. *insert more legal stuff here***

* * *

Someone had crossed out the "Echo Village: Population 4" sign and replaced it with a 9. My guess was that Dunhill had been the culprit. I hadn't seen him so enthusiastic in a long while. I suppose population figures on the verge of hitting the two-figure range is as great a cause for celebration as any.

Iroha the apprentice blacksmith, Rebecca the architect and her bratty son Toni were the new arrivals to this sleepy village. They were joyously received with gifts of wine, grilled fish and slightly deformed turnips (courtesy of Henry and Rio). However, it would have appeared that we had hit a bit of a snafu. There was a shortage of houses due to Iroha's unexpected arrival. Needless to say, Dunhill was thrown into a frenzied fit. His vocabulary can be quite colorful under such circumstances.

Luckily, Rebecca was a trained architect. She was more than qualified to build her own house if only she had the materials to do so. Naturally Miss Sunshine decided it was time to offer her input.

"Why don't we help Rebecca source for materials? There are plenty of rocks and trees which we can chop for lumber up in the mountains!" Rio suggest cheerily.

Thanks for the sleep deprivation, Rio.

The other villagers all agreed that it was a brilliant plan. Honestly I think they were just hard up for company-anything to get a new villager to stay.

Iroha offered to turn the stones and branches we had gathered into building materials. I quite liked her already. She had that cool no-nonsense air about her. She obviously knew what she was doing. I was sure she would not be causing me any trouble. _Certainly not like that pesky Rio._

Iroha had such long nimble fingers. I watched as she worked, hitting the rocks with precision and exceptional finesse. Her technique was good, really good. Occasionally, she would stop to wipe beads of sweat from her forehead. I think I could teach her how to play the bass guitar; with her skillful fingers, she would be excellent at maneuvering the fret-board.

It dawned on me that Iroha and Rio could be the only two girls to ever live in Echo Village. We may have seen the arrival of some new villagers but I doubt that trend would continue. If I had to pick a mate to settle down with, it would be Iroha, no questions asked. Heck, I'll pick anyone over that klutz Rio.

Hey I'm a guy. I think about these things too. Sometimes. Although I must say the thought of making little blond babies with Rio was extremely unsettling.

Wait, how the hell did that thought of Rio pop into my head? I felt a hot blush creeping up my neck. No, I did not want to sleep with this woman, let alone have any contact with her!

At that moment, Iroha shot me a funny look. I couldn't quite place it. Shit! She must have caught me staring at her! I don't want her to think I'm a creep. Neither do I want her to get the wrong message that I'm interested in her. What? I was only speaking hypothetically just now.

So I took off in the direction of the Goddess Pond at a reasonably fast pace to avoid suspicion. There, I spied Rio hard at work.

It's quite funny to see her at work. She moved with this blatant lack of grace that was somehow rather endearing. Her cheeks were burnt from the scorching sun and her body heaved with exertion. That didn't seem to deter her though. Her tenacity is commendable, I can give her that much.

"Nnnnggggh," Rio grunted, trying to lift a rock that was obviously too heavy for her slight frame. The rock slipped from her fingertips, the sharp jagged edge grazing her arm. "OOOUCH!"

Alarm bells sounded in my head. Trust that silly girl to be so clumsy!

Blood, bright and crimson red, oozed out of the wound. It dripped onto the bumpy surface of the rocks before splattering onto the ground. _Drip drip. _Rio stood there shell-shocked, clueless as to what to do.

From the looks of it, it was pretty deep and very painful.

"Gimme that." I had to staunch the bleeding before it got serious. I got injured quite a bit tending to uncooperative animals. Since there was no doctor in town, I was forced to hone my first-aid skills. Rio looked at me, the fear in her eyes very palpable.

I ripped off the bottom of my t-shirt and wrapped it around her arm. It soaked through almost immediately. Rio didn't utter a word. Cursing, I took off what was left of my shirt and wrapped it around her arm, securing it tightly to apply pressure on the wound.

"Are you always this clumsy? Gee I hope not. Thanks to you screwing up constantly, I worry about the fate of my animals in your hands. You're going to seriously hurt them one day!" I yelled at her. It's uncalled for but I was frustrated at her messing up all the time. It was simply infuriating how one person could cause so many problems.

Rio looked as though I had punched her in the stomach. Her blue eyes crinkled up in hurt. Under the glare of the mid-morning sun, they looked especially blue, and especially crushed.

"I've never hurt them okay! You know what Neil? You're a big bully! Did you help me just to gloat? I've had ENOUGH of your taunts! Let go of me!" she tried to squirm out of my grip and promptly yelped in pain. Tears gathered at the corners of her eyes, I didn't think it was just from the pain.

"Hey, hey, I'm sorry okay." I relaxed my grip on her arm. She winced a little but tried to put on a brave front. I sigh. It was really low of me to shit on an injured girl, especially when I was sure I had caused her so much grief already.

"Let's go back, you need to get some rest." I tried to soften my expression. She was naturally fair, but now she looked as white as a sheet. I was worried she was going to faint on me. That wouldn't be good.

Rio blinked twice and complained of dizziness. After all, she had just lost a significant amount blood. She stumbled uneasily.

"Here, lean on my shoulder, I'll help you down," I offered rather generously. She leaned against my bare shoulder. I must have stunk pretty badly what with all that hard work and this sweltering heat. Ugh, not that it really matters and not that I give a hoot.

My arm draped over her shoulder and her good arm found its way to my waist. Her touch sent shudders down my spine. I've never been touched by a girl before-at least not in this way. The intimacy was disconcerting, yet it felt sorta _nice._

Oh bah, what am I saying? I hate this girl remember? Yet all I could focus on in that moment was how blue her eyes looked. They were so blue they seemed artificial, like the postcard of the ocean on my desk. I had only seen the ocean once, with my mother before she passed away.

"Thanks Neil," she mumbled weakly and I was really worried that she would faint on me that very instant. I would have to give her mouth-to-mouth resuscitation then. The thought just felt so…wrong.

We made our way down the slope. Rio wasn't that heavy, in fact she was as light as a feather. She was probably really stressed out working on the farm. It was certainly no bed of roses for a city girl like her.

"Rio! What happened? Are you alright?" Henry raced to his sister's side and promptly bombarded me with questions.

Rebecca looked visibly alarmed once she spied the deep gash on Rio's left arm. "Oh no. Quick, sit down dear, you need to rest. Henry, give her some air."

I lowered Rio onto a tree stump, careful to avoid touching her injured arm. A grateful smile lit her face.

The other villagers cooed in concern, surrounding Rio like a flock of excited chickens.

"Does it hurt sweetie?" Hana soothed. Her motherly instincts had really kicked in ever since Kosaburo left on that fishing trip.

"Be more careful next time, Rio," Iroha lectured calmly.

"Should I call Mum? Dad?" panicked Henry, the ever-concerned older brother.

"I'm okay guys. Just a little tired but I'll be as good as new in no time!"

I didn't buy her chipper tone. It must have been excruciating. There was literally blood _everywhere_. I saw her face contort in agony. I heard her yelps of pain while I bandaged her arm. Her bravery was admirable.

Rio rested on the tree stump while the rest of us returned to work. Rebecca and Toni still needed a home after all. I felt Rio's eyeballs on the back of my head the whole time. I didn't quite know what to make of it so I just pretended not to notice.

"You like her, don't you?" Iroha whispered as I handed her a stack of branches.

"What? Don't be silly!" I exclaimed indignantly. I did not like Rio. At best we were friends. Though it was pretty one-sided since I obviously did not reciprocate her gestures of friendship. Why would Rio want to be friends with someone like me anyway? I'm certainly not good company.

It had been a long day. All I wanted was to go home and play some bass guitar. My bones felt like the stones I had been gathering all day. A strange sensation tugged at my heart, as though a whirlpool had formed inside it, sucking in and meshing together a strange blend of emotions that were certainly very foreign to me. It thumped against my chest, not painfully, but it didn't feel quite right either. It was something very palpable, so I couldn't just brush it aside as nonsense. No, I definitely felt _something_.

_Whatever man._

On my way home, I caught Henry staring at me with an expression I couldn't quite place. He smirked and raised his eyebrows. The realization that he had seen his sister wrapped around my bare torso washed over me.

"It's not what you think it is," I grunted, hoping he wouldn't delve too deep into the matter. What happened today between Rio and me-It can't mean anything, right?

_Right?_


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note:**

**Chapter 3 is up! Sorry if this took longer than usual cuz I was overseas heheh. As usual I don't own Harvest Moon, Natusume does. I only own my ideas. Thank you for reading and please R&R! **

**XO MartiansWearOrangeSocks**

* * *

I was confused. No maybe confusion was a bit of an understatement. Okay fine, I was extremely disoriented. It was as though I had gone to bed and when I had woken up, I wasn't the same Neil as I had been.

It was...queer. I had resented Rio to the core. I hated her stupid blond hair, her clumsiness, her everything. But after what had happened today, I wasn't quite sure how I felt about her anymore.

Her touch had sent fireworks shooting down my spine. It felt tingly and wrong but yet so right.

Argh, I blame the unseasonably warm spring weather for my current addled state of mind. A long quiet walk ought to sort out the fog in my brain.

I headed out to the river There was a waterfall that no one in town frequented. It was hardly majestic compared to the Goddess Pond. In the old days, people deemed the Goddess Pond to be the prime spot for weekend picnics. The waterfall was frequently overlooked. Fine by me, I treasured the solitude and peace of mind the waterfall offered. It was my special spot. Something about staring into the depths of the raging whirlpool seemed to clear my head.

As it turned out, I couldn't seem to run away from the person who was causing me so much emotional torment.

Rio stood by the edge of the waterfall, head hung low. Long blond hair obscured her face. Her shoulders shook.

Wait was she crying again? Humph girls can be so sensitive sometimes. I also didn't relish the fact that she had invaded my sacred sanctum.

A part of me wanted to lash out at her, yet another part of me (which I didn't know existed until today) yearned to envelop her in my arms, to sooth and comfort her as I would an injured calf. See? Major disorientation. Either that or I was indeed going insane.

"What are you doing here?" She really should have been resting at home.

"Go away Neil," she muttered between sniffles. "I want to be alone."

I would but that so happened to be the spot I went away to. So I just stood there and folded my arms across my chest.

"It's nothing really," Rio rambled on. "God I'm so useless, aren't I? I can't do anything right!"

Ah crap, there was no way I was going to get out of this. What had I dragged myself into?

"Why would you say that?" I said, internally wincing at the frosty edge in my voice. Damn it Neil, you don't have to sound like such an arse all the time, do you?

Rio laughed hollowly.

"Well there's one thing I think you're good at, cooking," I blurted. I wasn't lying or trying to be patronizing in any way. Her shrimp chili was really good. Almost as good as my mum's.

Rio smiled wanly. It suddenly occurred to me how my constant criticism must have hurt her deeply, even though she didn't let it show. What skeletons did she hide behind her megawatt smile?

Guilt ordered me to apologize to her, but my pride wouldn't let me.

"My father always said I was useless. Unlike Henry, I wasn't good at school, neither was I outstanding at sports or anything really for that matter. He berated me constantly. He said I was such a letdown, such a disappointment, the black mark on his perfectly pristine reputation. My mother never stood up for me, she never defended me. They always favored Henry." Tears pooled at the corner of her eyes. Had she run away to Echo Village to escape them?

I bade her to sit down on the grass. Some mint leaves were growing nearby so I picked them and offered her some. My mother always let me chew on the mint leaves we grew in the backyard when I was upset. She said it was the cure for sadness. That and watermelon sorbet. At that time, I was gullible enough to believe her.

We chewed in silence. Listening to her story brought back painful memories from my childhood that I thought I had locked up deep inside me.

"You think you had it bad, my father was worse."

I didn't know why but I felt like spilling everything about my tyrannical father to her. I told her about the high hopes he had pinned on me, about how he wanted his only son to follow in his footsteps and become a successful doctor. Too bad the son wasn't bright enough. I confided in Rio about how he controlled every single thing my mum and I did, how he rejected my passion for animals, how his iron-fisted grip drove my mum to an early grave. He robbed her of her youth, her happiness and he robbed me of my childhood.

Relating to Rio how I finally escaped from his clutches was liberating to say the least. Imagine my father's shame if word got out his son had become an animal dealer!

"He was such a bastard and I think I'm turning into him," I chortled and tears gathered at corners of my eyes, either from mirth or long suppressed misery. I felt a lot lighter-it felt as though Rio could understand what I had gone through.

"I don't think you're a bad person, Neil," Rio said softly.

Training my eyes on the raging water, I replied "Why are you comforting me when I've said such mean things to you in the past? You should hate me!" I've been nothing but a complete jackass to her.

Rio's arms wrapped around me, stunning me.

"I don't hate you Neil."

She felt so tiny and fragile but yet so soft and malleable in my arms, as though I could mould her into any shape I wanted to. No one had ever hugged me except for my mother.

I pulled apart from her embrace awhile later. My eyes landed on her injured arm.

"What was that all about?" I mumbled, willing the crimson blush creeping up my cheeks to go away.

"You needed a hug," she smiled.

"Don't do that again. I don't like hugs."

That was such a blatant lie.

Her scent lingered. Vanilla and not the cheap generic stuff either, I noted as I furiously tried to scrub it off in the shower. But the memory refused to be banished. My skin was red and raw by the time I was done with my shower.

Groaning, I chucked the empty bottle of shower gel and the remnants of my bath sponge into the trash.

It suddenly dawned upon me.

It was preposterous but could it be that I liked Rio?

No, that can't be it...


	5. Rio's Diary

**Chapter 5 is up! I thought it would be fun to do something from Rio's perspective this time. As usual please read and review! Disclaimer: I do not own harvest moon, Natsume does. I only own my ideas.**

* * *

Rio's Diary:

Spring 2

Dear Diary,

Henry and I just moved to Echo Village. It's alright I suppose, although its kinda quiet down here. V. different from home. At least M & D aren't around to nag me anymore. The farm is in shambles-overgrown weeds and stray branches strewn everywhere. Dunhill sheepishly apologized and informed us that the villagers had tried to take care of it as best as they could but there just weren't enough people anymore.

Only Dunhill, Emma and Hanna remain. There's an animal dealer who's currently out of town. Didn't really catch his name. So that brings us to a grand population of 6. Yikes.

Got to go now, there's lot to do on the farm. Henry just got some turnip seeds. We'll see how the farming goes.

Spring 7

Dear Diary,

Farming sucks. It's v. tiring. Not much to do around Echo Village either. We could take a bus to the city but it's much too expensive. We spent the majority of our money on seeds and canned food, a necessity until we got some crops growing. Stupid Henry! I'm gonna be bored to tears-there's simply nothing to do. Henry's off catching bugs now. Don't expect me to join him though. I HATE bugs.

Spring 9,

Dear Diary,

We just met the animal dealer today. He came to deliver our very first cow today! We named her Lucy after a pretty long argument. I still think MooMoo is an adorable name for a cow!

His name is Neil, and he's quite the character. He's quite a good-looking young man: adorably unkempt blond hair, unusual violet-ish eyes veering on red and lean lanky build. But he's quite a surly fellow. Doesn't seem like he has many friends. Poor guy, must be quite lonely here. But I sense there's more to him than this cold exterior. We'll see. I think we could be friends. He's the only person here our age.

Anyway, Henry really mucked up our turnips! I don't know what he did but they all wilted. Farming is hard, I'll admit that. Maybe I really am useless as D likes to say.

Spring 12

Dear Diary,

Today's been a really rough day! First of all, Lucy fell ill late last night. It's all my fault, It completely slipped my mind that it was going to rain that evening and I didn't bring her in. Worse still, Henry had gone to town to get new strings for his guitar. Luckily Neil was around to help.

At around 5am, Lucy's condition started getting really bad. She was shaking so badly! I didn't know what to do so I had to get Neil. I think I must have really annoyed him, he looked none too pleased, especially since I caught him in his boxers. It was quite embarrassing to be honest. I think it's quite cute that he wears cow boxers though!

He was quite mean really but he agreed to help. He's really good with animals! So gentle and soothing towards them, unlike how he is towards humans. Emma had warned me that he wasn't the friendliest fellow in town. She said he tended to be quite crabby. Don't get on his bad side, she had advised. But I think that someone who loves animals that much can't be all that bad.

Lucy calmed down almost immediately after Neil tended to her. I noticed that his eyes seem to light up whenever he's in the company of animals. I've seen him at work, he emanates this joy that is just so enviable. The hard edges of his face soften, he really is a v. handsome guy when he smiles.

I don't think he likes me much but I want to be his friend so badly. Haha it doesn't even make sense to me but I think he as do I could really use a friend. Don't know why but I feel inexplicably drawn to him.

I had to thank him for this colossal favour. I think Dunhill mentioned that Neil was a fan of shrimp chili. Hm maybe I should make him some?

Spring 15

Dear Diary,

Wonderful news! Iroha moved in today! She's an apprentice blacksmith. She seems like quite a nice girl. Yay! I could really use some friends my age. Not so good on the Neil front. We haven't talked much since that day. I wonder if he liked the shrimp chili.

Anyway we've been quite busy on the farm. I think I'm slowly starting to get the hang of it! It's not that difficult anymore. Lucy and I are slowly bonding which is great.

The other villagers are really nice too. Hanna keeps making me her delicious fish stew because she thinks I need to 'fatten up a little'. Emma often invites me and Henry over to tea. She makes such lovely apple pies! I think they're all quite lonely. Maybe they see their kids in Henry and me, which explains why they take such good care of us.

D called today. He asked if I was ready to throw in the towel and return back home. In his eyes the farm has always been Henry's only. I won't give him the satisfaction though. I haven't told Henry about this. It would upset him. No news from M. I miss her quite bit actually. But I don't think she feels the same way about me. She's probably thinking 'good riddance'! I was never the perfect daughter anyway.

Spring 23,

Dear Diary,

Sorry if I haven't been writing much lately. Things on the farm have been looking up. Ha take that D! Henry and I are mighty pleased with ourselves so we're celebrating by cooking some of the crops we had just harvested. Dinner is turnip stew with potato croquettes and grilled fish and fried rice. It was not bad. :) I think I could really get used to life on the farm.

We also just bought some chickens from Neil. We named them Yolko and Eggna geddit? He gave us a pretty good deal on the chicken feed and treats. As usual, he made a few snarky remarks about my farming abilities. Got to admit that stung a little but I'm quite good at hiding things like that. No one would be the wiser.

Spring 26

Dear Diary,

Yesterday had been a pretty long and disorientating day. I'm still a little unsettled by it to be honest. Maybe writing about it would help to clear my head. More new residents moved into town. They are Rebecca the architect and her son Toni. Anyway we ran into a bit of a problem due to a lack of houses. Iroha had occupied the house meant for Rebecca and Toni but the house had a forge so it was better if Iroha remained there.

We set about the task of finding Rebecca and Toni a new house. Thankfully Rebecca was more than capable of building a roof over her head but she needed materials so we helped to look for rocks and branches in the mountain area. Iroha offered to turn them into lumber.

It was no easy task as it was a blisteringly hot day. I sweated buckets! Anyway to cut the long story short, clumsy ol' me injured myself on a sharp rock. It was pretty bad, as in blood everywhere. Thankfully Neil was in the vicinity. Why do I always find myself seeking favors from him?

It was quite rare to see this show of kindness from him. He used his own shirt to staunch the bleeding. Got to admit, he has a pretty ripped body. Anyway that was besides the point, why was Neil being so kind to me all of a sudden? It doesn't make any sense to me. He even gallantly helped me down. He's a really nice guy deep down inside, even if he doesn't show it on the surface.

More uncharacteristic behavior from Neil. Later on, when I was by the waterfall, trying to get some bad thoughts about D out of my head, I bumped into him again. I felt so stupid, always messing up all the time.

I must have looked like a mess! Blotchy skin and swollen eyes. I don't know why but I just blurted everything about D & M to him. He was always calling me a lousy farmer, I guess he was right after all. He could chide and chastise me all he wanted, I no longer cared.

What I didn't expect was for Neil to open up to me. He made me sit down and gave me some mint leaves to chew on. I'm not used to seeing this side of him. He was being too nice, not like the usual Neil at all. He said he liked the chili and that I was a good cook. He was probably just trying to cheer me up but it was nice to receive a compliment from Neil. Then he told me about his father. The man sounded like a real douche. No wonder Neil ended up this way. I think we're just very broken on the inside. Parents will never know the irrevocable damage they've caused to their children.

He looked so hurt and fragile so I did the stupidest thing ever. I hugged him. He looked like he really needed one. I don't know why I did that. Maybe if I were being very honest with myself, I would say that I liked him. I don't know I'm really confused. On one hand he's this really mean ass who constantly belittles me but I've seen the softer and more vulnerable side of him. I think he's just afraid of being hurt, that's why he closes himself off to others.

He told me I should hate him, but I really don't. I don't know how I feel about him at all...

Spring 27

Shit I think Henry read my diary.


	6. Chapter 6

**Really sorry this took so long! I was busy with school. Anyway please R&R and I hope you enjoy reading this! :)**

* * *

A whole season had passed since that incident with Rio. I suppose we are friends now. She visits me at the shop quite frequently to play with the animals. I've noticed she's got a soft spot for the alpacas. Sometimes, she brings lunch. But then again she brings lunch for just about everyone in town. I have to admit I look forward to her cooking, I'm not the most adept cook myself.  
Things were looking better on the farm. Henry and Rio had raised a whole flock of chickens plus two more cows and a sheep. Though I'm not fond of the punny names Rio had bestowed upon them (seriously Eggna?), I had to admit their skills had improved by leaps and bounds.  
Dunhill in particular was impressed by their progress. He had tasked the twins with his lofty if somewhat over-ambitious Town Restoration plans. Let's hope they succeed. I could use the extra business-profits weren't too good this season.  
For now, Rio and I are fine with being friends, I think. I try not to ponder too much over the status of our relationship. "You look pensive," Dunhill had remarked when he walked passed the shop one day.  
I supposed these feelings would ebb away with time if I left them alone. Anyway, today was the day of the Summer Crop festival and I'm due at the Festival Grounds soon. I had promised Dunhill I would help to set everything up.  
The twins were competing this time. It would be interesting to see how things pan out. Last season's beginner's contest had been quite promising for them. They had clinched first place but it's only the entry level so I wouldn't get too cocky if I were them.  
The square was empty when I got there. Trust Dunhill to leave all the hard back-breaking work to me! It was hard work preparing for festivals, there were tables to be arranged, benches to be moved and balloons to be blown up. But it was good publicity, as Dunhill had always earnestly pointed out.  
"You're early," came a voice from behind. It was Henry and he cradled a giant tomato in his arms. His color looked good, much more tanned than a season ago. I supposed farm work was doing him some good.  
"Just helping to set stuff up, you're early. Where's your sister?"  
"Oh you know, getting ready. You know how girls are," he laughed. "Why do you ask?"  
What was he getting at? "No reason," I replied frostily, I honestly didn't care.  
Henry's raised eyebrow implied he didn't believe me. Okay fine, maybe I cared just a little. But that was only because of Rio's stunning track record at hurting herself.  
"Anyway," Henry continued. "My sister mentioned you played bass guitar? What a coincidence because I play the guitar myself."  
Hmmm, Rio had mentioned he went out of town to get new strings during that whole Lucy fiasco. That definitely earned him some brownie points in my book. Couldn't hurt to befriend a fellow musician, could it?  
We spent the next half and hour or so talking about music. Apparently Henry had been in a band called The Laces in high school. I didn't finish high school, couldn't take all the teachers breathing down my neck. I was utterly rubbish in math and science much to my father's dismay. The only teacher who truly understood me was Mr Peters, my music teacher or Mikhail as he preferred to be called. He had been a traveling musician once upon a time but had settled down after he met the girl of his dreams. It's strange that I think of it now, her name was Lilian and she had been a farmer. Anyway, he left the school at the end of my sophomore year to reunite with his wife in Kohana Town. And I left with him. There was no point in staying after Mikhail was gone.  
"I think my sister is fond of you, Neil," Henry announced rather abruptly.  
WHAT? He had to be joking. My heart thumped furiously.  
"She's always making food for you! Whenever I ask her to make me something to eat, she always tells me to open a can of beans!"  
We're just friends, that's all to it. I told Henry just that.  
"Riiiight. Gotta run, Dunhill's calling for registration. Take good care of my sis!" He winked.  
What the hell?  
I've had time to ponder over my feelings for Rio. The truth is I think I really do like her, but I doubt she would like being with me. No one does.  
So it turned out that the twins won the intermediate crop festival. To celebrate, the twins had invited everyone in town over for dinner. Rio had made a stew out of the winning vegetable.  
Usually, I wasn't a fan of tomato stew but Rio's version was pretty darn good. Plus she had thrown in a generous serving of croutons. Even that brat Toni polished off his bowl even though he was a notorious veggie-hater.  
"How is it?" Rio quipped from behind me, nearing causing me to jump. What is it with these two and sneaking up on people?  
Rio looked positively radiant that night. She seemed to emanate this glow from within her. Good, considering how pale and sickly she looked a season ago. And was that blush she was wearing?  
"It's lovely," I blurted, feeling the urge to clamp my hands over my big mouth.  
She beamed brightly. It was nice having a friend like Rio, someone would could look into my red irises and not be intimidated by them. I hated my eyes, the only feature I had inherited from my father. They seemed to scare people off almost instantaneously. You have no idea how many kids I scared off in nursery school. "M...monster!" kids would blurt and take off in the opposite direction.  
Rio had nice friendly eyes. They were big and blue like the prized marbles nobody wanted to trade away in grade school.  
What I know is that I can't lose Rio as a friend.  
I gave her a pat on the back. She was so skinny, I wished she would eat more. It couldn't be healthy to weigh so little considering the sheer amount of work to be done on the farm.  
"I'm proud of you," I told her and excused myself to keep the words better left unsaid from tumbling out of my mouth.  
I don't deserved to be loved, I'm mean and cruel and utterly repugnant in every way possible. I don't understand what Rio could possibly see in me. She deserves someone better, someone who will tell her how beautiful she really is, someone who can cherish and love her, someone who doesn't hurt her feelings with all the mean words he says.  
Someone who is not me.


	7. Chapter 7

Apologies on how long it has taken me to update! I really have no excuse, just procrastinating as usual. T.T Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

* * *

I had taken great pains avoid Rio, though it was inevitable that I would bump into her one day. But out of all places and plausible circumstances, why did I have to bump into her here?

It would appear that Rio was on a date with that hairstylist chap. Allen or Adam or something. I didn't like him at all. He struck me as being a flamboyant stuck-up prick and exceedingly shallow. Constantly parading around town in the latest designer duds like a peacock, Allen would bluntly point out the various 'hair-don'ts' of the villagers. Bah! The women loved him though, with every single one of them flocking to his salon to get their tresses perfectly coiffed and pampered. Once I had spied Dunhill going in to 'shape his beard'! It was simply ridiculous.

While I was glad the town expansion was going well, I sometimes loathed Henry and Rio a little for bringing such annoying villagers to town. Some of them were nice, like Rod the pet shop owner for example, but others like Allen were simply driving me nuts.  
Rio looked good, happy even. Whatever, she can date whoever she wants, I don't care. Not one iota.

She had a new haircut, it was shorter and she had put in curls that framed her face. It's her business if she wants to waste a colossal sum of money on something as frivolous as a haircut.

"Hey it's Rio and Allen!" Rod quipped. Henry, Rod and I were having dinner at Chez Clement. From the moment I met Rod, I felt a remarkable kinship with him. Maybe it was the fact that we shared a passion for animals or maybe it was the fact that he was almost like the little brother I never had.

Despite being twenty, making him just a year younger than me, Rod had the air of a little boy about him. He had a sanguine disposition and was more than friendly to everyone in town. Another one of those happy-go-lucky types-which should have irked me but honestly, I didn't mind Rod's constant chatter at all. Which was strange, given my earlier misgivings about Rio... Also, he was never the one to judge, which I greatly appreciated.  
"Looks like they're on a date." Henry cocked a raise eyebrow at me, challenging me. He could be infuriating at times.

"So? I don't care."

"Really?" Rod giggled. He exchanged a look which I didn't quite like with Henry. What the hell had Henry told him behind my back?

"Yes really. Shut up and let's order." I waved Felicity over.

She sauntered over, ruffling the various bows and frills of her uniform. Wasn't it uncomfortable to dress in that manner? Girls, they really are another species altogether.  
"Hi can I take your order?" she chirped. Yet another member of the happy-go-lucky club.  
"One omelette rice please!" Rod requested enthusiastically.

"One eel rice bowl, and I must say you look very lovely in that dress." Ugh. Henry ever the smooth-talker, was always flirting with Felicity. It was disgusting to say the least.  
Felicity promptly flushed a deep scarlet. "T..thank...y...you," she stuttered, twirling a lock of hair around her finger.

"One shrimp chili," I mumbled, crossing my arms across my chest. This earned me more raised eyebrows from Henry and Rod. Seriously, did they have to link everything I said or did to Rio?

"WHAT? I like chili."

"A little too much dontcha think?" snickered Rod. I wished these two would just get off my case. My patience was wearing thin.

Henry got up to chat with Felicity by the counter. It was a nauseating exchange of cheesy pick-up lines on Henry's part and nervous Ha-Ha-Has on Felicity's. Averting my gaze, my eyes swiveled around the room, looking for something less vomit-inducing to focus on.  
Unfortunately they landed on Rio and Allen. They were having herb soup. Ew I hated herb soup. It was slimy and revolting in every way possible. How could someone possibly enjoy it?

Rio giggled like an excited schoolgirl. It seemed as though she was having the time of her life. Allen's hand was clasped around hers. Leaning forward, he tucked a errant strand of hair behind her ears. Oh yuck, spare me the cheesiness.

Wait! Was he trying to look down her shirt? That pervert! Figures, I knew a fellow like him couldn't be trusted. And Rio! She wasn't even trying to stop him! My eyes glowered.  
"Sour grapes Neil?" remarked Rod, swiveling around to face the 'happy couple'.  
"No way. I'm just watching out for Rio. I don't want her fragile little heart being broken by him. I think he"s up to no good."

"Hey! Allen's a nice guy. I've known him since we were kids! Besides, you had better act soon Neil."

"Well, I don't like the way he's looking at her like she's a piece of meat." I growled. "Geez Rod. I don't like Rio, okay? We're just friends."

At that moment, Henry sauntered back to the table, grinning smugly.

"Guess who's got a date on Friday night?" Henry beamed triumphantly, as if scoring a date was some kind of momentous achievement.

"Definitely not Neil from the looks of it!" Rod jerked his thumb in the direction of Rio and Allen.

Henry's eyebrows knitted together. I supposed the protective older brother didn't like some dude getting all touchy-feely with his younger sis.

"Wow that escalated quickly," he remarked, a palpable edge to his voice. "Good luck buddy." He slapped me on the back. Hard.

"WILL YOU TOO JUST STOP IT?"

Everyone in the room must have heard my outburst. Rio turned around, waving her fingers to say hi. Her brow furrowed. Allen just glared at me, eyes like steel.  
Clement must have taken this cue to ease the tension because he quickly nudged Felicity, who hurriedly served up our food.

"Enjoy!" She beamed, a little too enthusiastically. Her eyelashes fluttered when she looked at Henry.

"Will do," Henry replied with a tip of his cap. He may have thought it was slick, but honestly it just looked stupid.

Felicity flushed and promptly scurried back to the counter. Whatever.  
I was famished. And the chili smelled delicious.

But it just wasn't Rio's chili. Don't get me wrong, it was good. Rich and flavorful. The shrimp was perfectly seasoned and the texture was just right. After all, Clement was a world-renowned chef. But it was definitely missing a little something. I couldn't quite place my finger on it.

Whatever, I chided myself for being so stupid.

It's just chili, silly.


End file.
